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Message: <blockquote data-quote="77IM" data-source="post: 7133184" data-attributes="member: 12377">I would dispense with the mists and the demiplane altogether. Just make Barovia a secluded backwater barony; it has few notable exports (their wine business seems to have dried up a few years back) so no-one ever goes there except the occasional desperate trader and, of course, the Vistani. The ruling noble family is a bunch of inbred recluses with no meaningful diplomatic relations, and the Barovian people are strange and depressed, rarely venturing outside their mountain valley.Then, each character needs a motivation for going there:1. You wish to do the most good, and a mystic oracle (who?) has told you to go to Barovia.2. You seek wealth and treasure, and you have heard legends of a fabulous treasure (what?) in Barovia.3. Your friend or family member (who?) has gone missing, and you've tracked them to Barovia.4. You are searching for a powerful ancient artifact (what?) and your research indicates that it is in Barovia.5. You are a loyal servant (of who?) and they have ordered you to see to their interests in Barovia.6. You just want to kill monsters, and you've heard that there are a lot of really bad monsters in Barovia.The DM can arrange for something near the end of the adventure to fulfill all these requirements. For example, maybe they have to kill Baba Lysaga in order to rescue the family member and gain the artifact, and then they must light the Beacon of Argynvolsholt in order to do the most good, see to the interests in Barovia, and gain the fabulous treasure. At that point, there should have been plenty of time for Strahd to harass the party and build up enmity, giving them reason to take him out -- or maybe they're sick of him and want to just leave Barovia to its own devices.</blockquote>

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